GOODBYE PUBLIC POOL / HELLO GREEN PAELLA

ASSOCIATED PRESS

I feel that the holiday period over Christmas and New Year's is like one biiiiiiig party. It starts out super fun and you think you never want it to end, but then you go to the pool and a bandaid floats past your friend's face and so you know its time to pack up, go home and have a hot shower! Yep its time for the big ole holiday party to end and just like any party, there is always some type of come down and the pool on Monday was it for me. Yep, I'm done. I'm ready to go back to work, to school (Clementine starts Kindergarten - eeep!) and for the regular grind of daily life to commence. And I am o.k with that, because this year is going to be an awesome one. I can feel it in my bones!
I decided to start the year off right with taking care of ME, in particular my poor old lower back and dodgy right shoulder and have FINALLY started going to Pilates (I think I'm addicted already!). I have expanded my little dance school D I S C O and I have been baking bread every day this week. I will share the bread recipe, including my sourdough starter with you soon! Now this isn't the first time I have started the year off with my bread baking guns blazing....let's face it, it could all fizz out by March when I forget to feed the starter and it eventually goes grey and ends up in the compost. But theres no harm in trying right? And its always fun while it lasts.
I have also decided to make one or two promises again rather than resolutions for this year. I made a promise to myself at the beginning of 2015 that I would get my Learner's Permit and although it took me all year to book the test (and then actually read the road rules book) I finally got my L's! Adam took me for my first driving lesson last Sunday.
So here's to 2016 - Lets do this!

This recipe should get you into the swing of eating greener and leaner after the splurge of Christmas 'cheer' shall we say. It is similar to my Potluck Paella dish which is based on Ottolenghi's Multi Vegetable Paella recipe. I had a big bunch of Kale that needed to be used and lots of herbs so I decided to blitz them all in the food processor, grab some arborio rice and call it Paella!? It was like a bowl full of summer! Topped with lemony goodness, juicy tomatoes and plump baby peas.....it was deeeeeeelicious! Lighter in flavour but still as wholesome. A good mid-week meal that can be easily cooked up in half an hour, thanks to my trusty food processor.

GLORIOUS GREEN PAELLA

This is enough to feed 6 people as a main.

1/2 bunch of Kale, washed and leaves removed from stem (approx 2 cups)
1/2 cup of parsley and/or basil
extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
300 grams arborio rice
1/2 cup of sherry or dry white wine (optional)
1 litre of boiling vegetable stock
1 teaspoon saffron strands
a handful of cherry or mini roma tomatoes, quartered
1 1/2 cups of frozen baby peas
salt
pepper
lemon wedges to serve

Place the herbs, stems and all (remove the woody part of the stem) in food processor along with the kale leaves. Shjooz until finely chopped and set aside.
Heat a couple of glugs of olive oil in a paella pan, large frying pan or wok.
On medium heat, cook the onions until soft and golden.
Add the garlic, turmeric and paprika and cook for about 2 mins, stirring occasionally.
Pour in the rice and stir so the grains are coated and glistening.
Add the sherry or wine and let it boil down.
Add the stock, herbs and kale and stir very briefly just so all the greens are soaked in the liquid.
Reduce the heat to the lowest it can go and leave to simmer gently for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed - do not stir!
Turn the stove off and scatter the green rice with tomatoes and peas.
Cover tightly with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Remove the foil and garnish with more herbs if desired and season to taste.
Serve with lemon wedges and a drizzle of olive oil.

*I didn't have any in the fridge but a handful of pitted kalamata olives would be a winner in this dish.